Surgical tool holder and surgical tool

Abstract

A surgical tool holder 12 and tool system 10 is provided. The surgical tool holder ( 12 ) is adapted to connect to a tool support ( 14 ) having an interface receiver ( 36 ). The tool support provides a mount for a surgical tool head. The tool holder ( 12 ) includes a center rod ( 20 ), a tool interface ( 28 ) and a quick connect mechanism ( 50 ). The center rod ( 20 ) has a first shank end ( 24 ) and a second tool end ( 26 ). The tool interface ( 28 ) is disposed on the tool end ( 26 ) of the center rod ( 20 ). The tool interface ( 28 ) has at least one transversely extending portion ( 44, 44 a ), extending radially outward, beyond the diameter of the center rod ( 20 ) at the tool end ( 26 ). The interface ( 28 ) is adapted to engage with the interface receiver ( 36 ). The quick connect mechanism ( 50 ) is disposed on the center rod ( 20 ) to move in a rotationally-constrained manner thereon proximate the tool interface ( 28 ). The mechanism ( 50 ) includes protrusions ( 66 ) biased to bear against and engage the tool support ( 14 ) when the tool support is engaged with the tool interface ( 28 ). This securely holds the tool support ( 14 ) and prevents its relative rotation with respect to the tool holder ( 12 ).

1. A surgical tool holder adapted to connect to a surgical tool, the tool holder comprising:
 a) a center rod comprising a linear axis extending from a first, proximal shank end to a second, distal tool end; 
 b) a tracking groove extending along a surface of the center rod parallel to the linear axis from a first groove end adjacent to the tool end to a second groove end proximate from the tool end, the tracking groove communicating with a release slot provided in the surface of the center rod at an intermediate location between the first and second groove ends; 
 c) a tool interface comprising at least one transverse projection extending radially outwardly in a fixed manner beyond a diameter of the center rod proximate the distal tool end; 
 d) a ram disposed proximate the distal tool end and comprising a ram bore receiving the center rod in a movable relationship therewith, wherein the ram comprises a first ram end from which at least one engagement finger projects parallel to the linear axis of the center rod, and an opposite, second ram end, wherein a locking pin supported by the ram projects into the ram bore and is movable along the tracking groove of the center rod; 
 e) of a collar having a collar bore through which the center rod movably passes, the collar having a bias face at a distal collar end, wherein a guide pin supported by the collar projects into the collar bore and is movable along the tracking groove and the release slot of the center rod; and 
 f) a biasing means positioned between the collar and the ram in a movable relationship about the center rod, the biasing means having a first bias end that is contactable by the ram and a second bias end contactable by the bias face of the collar, 
 g) wherein the ram supported by the center rod and a surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the transverse projection into a locked relationship with a second slot of the surgical tool with the engagement finger blocking rotational movement of the surgical tool with respect to the tool holder, and wherein the collar is manipulatable along the center rod against the biasing means to align the guide pin with the release slot and then to move the guide pin into a locked relationship with the release slot of the center rod with the biasing means providing a biasing force against the ram preventing the transverse projection and the engagement finger from releasing from the surgical tool thereby locked to the connected tool holder, and 
 h) wherein the collar is manipulatable to remove the guide pin from the release slot and then to move the guide pin along the center rod to relax the biasing means against the ram so that the ram supported on the center rod and the surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the engagement finger out of the second slot and to move the transverse projection out of the blocking relationship with the surgical tool thereby being separable from the tool holder. 
 
     
     
       2. The surgical tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the tool interface comprises a cross-pin fitting providing the at least one transverse projection disposed at the second, distal tool end of the center rod. 
     
     
       3. The surgical tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the tool interface comprises a “T”-bar fitting providing the at least one transverse projection disposed at the second, distal tool end of the center rod. 
     
     
       4. The surgical tool holder of  claim 1  adapted to interface with a disk-shaped tool. 
     
     
       5. The surgical tool holder of  claim 1  adapted to interface with a dome-shaped tool. 
     
     
       6. The surgical tool holder of  claim 1  wherein a grip handle is disposed on the center rod proximate the shank end. 
     
     
       7. The tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the shank end of the tool driver is adapted to connect to a tool driver. 
     
     
       8. The tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the release slot is selected from the group consisting of a J-slot, a double J-slot, and a T-slot. 
     
     
       9. The tool holder of  claim 1  wherein a through bore provided along the linear axis of the center rod extends from the proximal shank end to the distal tool end. 
     
     
       10. The tool holder of  claim 9  wherein the through bore comprises an access port located adjacent to the proximal shank end and a countersunk recess at the distal tool end. 
     
     
       11. The tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the center rod comprises a shoulder adjacent to the distal tool end, the shoulder providing a surface against which a surgical tool contacts when it is locked to the tool holder. 
     
     
       12. The tool holder of  claim 1  wherein the ram comprises an internal chamber at the second ram end and the biasing means is at least partially receivable in the internal ram chamber when the collar is moved toward the ram. 
     
     
       13. The tool holder of  claim 12  wherein the bias face of the collar is receivable into the internal chamber of the ram with the biasing means disposed therebetween. 
     
     
       14. A tool kit, which comprises:
 a) at least one tool handle according to  claim 1 ; 
 b) a plurality of surgical tools adapted to detachably connect to the tool handle; and 
 a case for organizing components of the kit. 
 
     
     
       15. A surgical tool holder adapted to connect to a surgical tool, the tool holder comprising:
 a) a center rod comprising a linear axis extending from a first, proximal shank end to a second, distal tool end; 
 b) a tracking groove extending along a surface of the center rod parallel to the linear axis from a first groove end adjacent to the tool end to a second groove end proximate from the tool end, the tracking groove communicating with a release slot provided in the surface of the center rod at an intermediate location between the first and second groove ends; 
 c) a tool interface comprising at least one transverse projection extending radially outwardly in a fixed manner beyond a diameter of the center rod proximate the distal tool end; 
 d) a ram disposed proximate the distal tool end and comprising a ram bore receiving the center rod in a movable relationship therewith, wherein the ram comprises a first ram end from which at least one engagement finger projects parallel to the linear axis of the center rod, and an internal chamber open to a second ram end, wherein a locking pin supported by the ram projects into the ram bore and is movable along the tracking groove of the center rod; 
 e) a collar having a collar bore through which the center rod movably passes, the collar having a bias face at a distal collar end, wherein a guide pin supported by the collar projects into the collar bore and is movable along the tracking groove and the release slot of the center rod; and 
 f) a biasing means positioned between the collar and the ram in a movable relationship about the center rod, the biasing means having a first bias end at least partially receivable in the internal chamber of the ram and a second bias end contactable by the bias face of the collar, 
 g) wherein the ram supported on the center rod and a surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the transverse projection in an axial direction along a second J-slot of the surgical tool and then in both a rotational and axial manner to move the transverse projection into a terminal end of the second J-slot as the engagement finger moves into the second J-slot to thereby block movement of the transverse projection therefrom, and wherein the collar is axially manipulatable along the center rod against the biasing means to align the guide pin with the release slot and then rotatable and axially manipulatable about the center rod to move the guide pin into a locked relationship with the release slot of the center rod with the biasing means providing a biasing force against the ram preventing the engagement finger from releasing from the second J-slot of the surgical tool thereby locked to the connected tool holder, and 
 h) wherein the collar is rotatably and axially manipulatable to remove the guide pin from the release slot and then the collar is axially manipulatable in a proximal direction along the center rod to relax the biasing means against the ram so that the ram supported on the center rod and the surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the engagement finger in an axial manner out of the second J-slot of the surgical tool and then in both a relative rotational and axial manner to thereby move the transverse projection out of the second J-slot to thereby release the surgical tool from the tool holder. 
 
     
     
       16. The tool holder of  claim 15  wherein the release slot is selected from the group consisting of a J-slot, a double J-slot, and a T-slot. 
     
     
       17. A surgical tool holder adapted to connect to a surgical tool, the tool holder comprising:
 a) a center rod comprising a linear axis extending from a first, proximal shank end to a second, distal tool end; 
 b) a tracking groove extending along a surface of the center rod parallel to the linear axis from a first groove end adjacent to the tool end to a second groove end proximal from the tool end, the tracking groove communicating with a first J-slot provided in the surface of the center rod at an intermediate location between the first and second groove ends; 
 c) a tool interface comprising at least one transverse projection extending radially outwardly in a fixed manner beyond a diameter of the center rod proximate the distal tool end; 
 d) a ram disposed proximate the distal tool end and comprising a ram bore receiving the center rod in a movable relationship therewith, wherein the ram comprises a first ram end from which at least one engagement finger projects parallel to the linear axis of the center rod, and an internal chamber open to a second ram end, wherein a locking pin supported by the ram projects into the ram bore and is movable along the tracking groove of the center rod; 
 e) a collar having a collar bore through which the center rod movably passes, the collar having a bias face at a distal collar end, wherein a guide pin supported by the collar projects into the collar bore and is movable along the tracking groove and the first J-slot of the center rod; and 
 f) a biasing means positioned between the collar and the ram in a movable relationship about the center rod, the biasing means having a first bias end at least partially receivable in the internal chamber of the ram and a second bias end contactable by the bias face of the collar, 
 g) wherein the ram supported on the center rod and a surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the transverse projection in an axial direction along at least one second J-slot of the surgical tool and then in both a rotational and axial manner to move the transverse projection into a terminal end of the second J-slot as the engagement finger moves into the second J-slot to thereby block movement of the transverse projection therefrom, and wherein the collar is axially manipulatable along the center rod against the biasing means to align the guide pin with the first J-slot and then rotatable and axially manipulatable about the center rod to move the guide pin into a locked relationship with the first J-slot of the center rod with the biasing means providing a biasing force against the ram preventing the engagement finger from releasing from the second J-slot of the surgical tool thereby locked to the connected tool holder, and 
 h) wherein the collar is rotatably and axially manipulatable to remove the guide pin from the first J-slot and then the collar is axially manipulatable in a proximal direction along the center rod to relax the biasing means against, the ram so that the ram supported on the center rod and the surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the engagement finger in an axial manner out of the second J-slot of the surgical tool and then in both a relative rotational and axial manner to move the transverse projection out of the second J-slot to thereby release the surgical tool from the tool holder. 
 
     
     
       18. The tool holder of  claim 17  wherein there are two diametrically opposed transverse projections. 
     
     
       19. The tool holder of  claim 17  wherein there are two diametrically opposed engagement fingers. 
     
     
       20. A surgical tool holder adapted to connect to a surgical tool, the tool holder comprising:
 a) a center rod comprising a linear axis extending from a first, proximal shank end to a second, distal tool end; 
 b) a tracking groove extending along a surface of the center rod parallel to the linear axis from a first groove end adjacent to the tool end to a second groove end proximal from the tool end, the tracking groove communicating with a release slot provided in the surface of the center rod at an intermediate location between the first and second groove ends; 
 c) a tool interface comprising at least one transverse projection extending radially outwardly in a fixed manner beyond a diameter of the center rod proximate the distal tool end; 
 d) a ram disposed proximate the distal tool end and comprising a ram bore receiving the center rod in a movable relationship therewith, wherein the ram comprises a first ram end from which at least one engagement finger projects parallel to the linear axis of the center rod, and an internal chamber open to a second ram end, wherein a locking pin supported by the ram projects into the ram bore and is movable along the tracking groove of the center rod; 
 e) a collar having a collar bore through which the center rod movably passes, the collar having a bias face at a distal collar end, wherein a guide pin supported by the collar projects into the collar bore and is movable along the tracking groove and the release slot of the center rod; and 
 f) a biasing means positioned between the collar and the ram in a movable relationship about the center rod, the biasing means having a first bias end at least partially receivable in the internal chamber of the ram and a second bias end contactable by the bias face of the collar, 
 g) wherein the ram supported by the center rod and a surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to move the engagement finger and the transverse projection in an axial direction along an interface slot of the surgical tool and then in a rotational manner to cause the transverse projection to bear against a back surface of a support for the surgical tool, and wherein the collar is axially manipulatable along the center rod against the biasing means to align the guide pin with the release slot and then to move the guide pin into a locked relationship with the release slot of the center rod with the biasing means providing a biasing force against the ram preventing the transverse projection from releasing from its engaged relationship with the support of the surgical tool thereby locked to the connected tool holder, and 
 h) wherein the collar is rotatably and axially manipulatable to remove the guide pin from the release slot and then the collar is axially manipulatable in a proximal direction along the center rod to relax the biasing means against the ram so that the ram supported on the center rod and the surgical tool are relatively manipulatable to remove the transverse projection from the support surface of the surgical tool and to move the engagement finger out of the interface slot to thereby release the surgical tool from the tool holder. 
 
     
     
       21. The tool holder of  claim 20  wherein the shank end of the tool driver is adapted to connect to a tool driver. 
     
     
       22. The tool holder of  claim 20  wherein the bias face of the collar is receivable into the internal chamber of the ram with the biasing means disposed therebetween. 
     
     
       23. The tool holder of  claim 20  wherein the release slot is selected from the group consisting of a J-slot, a double J-slot, and a T-slot. 
     
     
       24. The tool holder of  claim 20  wherein a through bore is provided along the linear axis of the center rod. 
     
     
       25. The tool holder of  claim 20  wherein the center rod comprises a shoulder adjacent to the distal tool end, the shoulder providing a surface against which a surgical tool contacts when it is locked to the tool holder.